Here’s what went out:
As Archbishop of New York, I add my voice to that of the Holy See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in rejecting Williamson’s words as hurtful, baseless, and outrageous. It is my prayer that all of our Jewish brothers and sisters understand that we in the Catholic community here in New York hold them in the highest esteem, and look forward to continuing to cooperate with them in countless good works for our community and our nation.
The first sentence is okay. Here’s how I would’ve tweaked the rest:
It is my humble prayer that all our Jewish brothers and sisters understand that we in the Catholic community here in New York deeply regret the persistence of anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism in our Church.
We ask the Jewish community’s forgiveness for the ways that we, as Catholic Christians, have failed to honor, respect, and express gratitude for all the gifts we have received from the Jewish people throughout history. We need to become more mindful of our Jewish roots.
We stand in solidarity with you against those who minimize or ignore the persecution you have suffered through our thoughts and words; in what we have done and what we have failed to do.
